


Otherworldly

by tinasnewt



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-05-26 19:39:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15007937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinasnewt/pseuds/tinasnewt
Summary: "Who are you?""I'm Newt Scamander.""What are you?""I'm a wizard."





	1. The Curious Muggle

Lucy Kegley was just a girl, trying to enjoy life in the early thirties. It didn't matter that she was orphaned or hungry, all she wanted to do was spread happiness around New York. The Great Depression had begun, and any happiness little Lucy could muster up was enough to brighten even one busy worker's day. The folk around town all thought she was odd. After all, a little girl sitting on the steps leading up to the Steen National Bank was bound to spark some interest from even the quietest citizens. She couldn't be begging for a job; there were none left, and a girl of her size would be no use to the workplaces that could appoint her.

Lucy was a small, frail girl who looked much too young for her age. Her tan skin and thin, brown hair made her appear younger than she was. Every day she sat on the fourth step and waited for anyone to ask what she was doing at such a time of day or if she was lost.

"No," she'd reply. "I'm not lost." Then she'd compliment the person, man or woman, and send them on their way.

That unusually cold Tuesday, Lucy was watching people pass by as she normally did. Nothing seemed out of order that day, other than the temperature. Lucy looked straight ahead, observing the broad-shouldered, tall child across the street run into a taller, skinnier girl with an oddly long neck. Little Lucy found that to be quite funny. Mr. Evans fancied that girl, and would purposely get in her way at the best of times.

Lucy realized Mr. Evans schoolboy fantasies shouldn't be distracting her, so she began watching the people in the street again. Nobody interesting seemed to pass. Besides, only a few men had jobs to go to, and even fewer would even acknowledge her existence. But then, something strange happened. In the corner of her eye, Lucy saw a man in a blue overcoat appear out of thin air. Rubbing her eyes in disbelief, Lucy watched as the man in the blue looked over his shoulder, concealing a leather briefcase behind him.

She couldn't help but be curious. The oddest thing that had happened in New York was the day nobody could remember, but that had been six years ago. Peering around, she realized nobody else seemed to have noticed the man. Why would such a peculiar thing happen in the streets of New York? Where had that man come from? Her curiosity took over and she began to walk down the steps, not bothering to survey the street as she sprinted across it. Once her feet hit the sidewalk again, Lucy looked around and caught a flash of the blue coat as it dashed around the corner, into another cramped alley. She tiptoed near it, keeping her back against the cool wall. She felt like a spy from one of the novels she'd read at the library.

The young girl briskly pranced down the narrow alleyway like a spring deer on a warm day. Fire escapes and crumbling brick buildings towered over her as she wove in and out around trash cans and manholes surrounded by the old newspapers and trash that painted the dark concrete. All that remained as she reached the end was the man's briefcase... and it was suspended in the air. It was a sight unlike any she had ever seen before. It was absurd. Why would a man suddenly disappear- with his briefcase floating in midair?

"Impossible," she breathed as her hand raised to her face. Lucy took three steps forward, her body disobeying her mind. The briefcase slipped open, revealing a rodent-like creature with a long snout similar to that of a platypus and a coat of black, fluffy fur. He -Lucy inferred the creature was a he- floated towards her, his paws outstretched towards the clip in her hair. Her hands wrapped around the soft creature before he could grab the metal pin off of her small head. The critter climbed on her arm, beginning to burrow through her hair. Lucy giggled and pulled the clip out, handing it to the fluffy being, allowing it to play with it as she sighed. She heard the clip clang around in the creature's hands, but couldn't see it as he had found a spot to sit on, and that spot was her head.

The creature made a loud squawk, and Lucy had barely caught him after he fell off her head before turning around and seeing the man in the blue storming towards it. Or her. Lucy's eyes widened as she began to run out of the alley, distracting the man who still had to gather his suitcase. Many people yelled and jumped out of her way, especially a woman in red lipstick and an expensive coat, who cried out words of disgust, thinking she was carrying some sort of feral rat. Lucy held the animal close, turning around to see the man in the blue catching up to them. He seemed more concerned than upset. Maybe he's just worried about the animal. Lucy thought. After that thought crossed her head, she had become distracted again. So distracted she let herself wander into a baker, who's bakery was just opening.

"Oh!" yelled the man. Lucy worried the man would be upset and almost began to apologize before he gave her a jolly smile. "You look hungry. Come on in, I'll make you one of my famous treats."

A decline was just forming on her lips as the man put a large hand on her back and lightly pushed her inside. Lucy reluctantly sat at an empty table, concealing the creature under her shirt. She looked through the transparent glass and saw the man in blue had finally caught up and was looking at the sign that read "Kowalski Quality Baked Goods." A flash of recognition was slapped across the man's face before he entered the bakery. The doors jingled as he opened them, and the baker looked behind himself at the man.

"Jaco- Mr. Kowalski, good morning. Are you open yet?" He asked, leaning onto the glass counter. He eyed his old friend's treats, especially the ones that resembled his fantastic beasts.

The animal tucked away made a slight noise. Lucy hoped the strange man didn't hear, but she didn't see him look slowly in the corner of his eye, marking the spot where his beast was. Under the shirt, he thought, how impressive and obvious.

Mr. Kowalski rang a bell and brought a plate of rolls to Lucy. She nearly gasped but stopped herself. The rolls were in the shape of the critter she'd concealed away only moments ago. How he could've known, she didn't know.

"I... don't have any money to pay for this, Mr. Kowalski," Lucy admitted, looking down and enjoying the scent of freshly baked rolls. Heat radiated from them, warming her cheeks that had grown pink from the cool morning air. The man who'd chased her frowned, and pulled out a few gold coins.

"It's on me," he said to the baker. "This is real good, cash it in at the bank. It'll more than cover the price of your extravagant rolls. Tell me, where do you get your ideas?"

Mr. Kowalski gave the man a startled look at the pile of cool, gold cylinders on the counter. "I... um, I get them in my dreams mostly. Just bizarre, magical creatures and beasts. They stick to my mind like spat out gum on the ground. So, I bake them," he said, taking the gold and placing it behind the counter, out of sight. Lucy then realized that the creature she'd had with her vanished. She looked alarmingly around the bakery, only to see it crawling over the counter. The man was watching it, an agitated look plastered on his face.

Once the creature had managed to get itself past the glass, the man reached across and grabbed it by its back paws. He sighed and walked over to sit in the seat adjacent to Lucy's. She swallowed as he sat, anxiety taking over her.

"Thought you could steal my niffler, huh? It'll take more than that, little one," he said, giving another one of the gold coins to the niffler. "Pesky fauna can never behave himself around shiny things. Always getting out and causing trouble. Now tell me... why were you carrying my creature?"

"I never meant to- your case, it... I'm..." Lucy stuttered as the man chuckled at her misfortune with words. "What's a niffler? Or- what is that thing? It's so unordinary."

A stern look displayed itself on the man's face. "Thing? Thing?! My niffler is not just a thing, it's an amazing creature that can do much more than your muggle brain can imagine." The niffler whined, and the man pet its head softly, shushing it. "Don't worry, mummy's here. I'm not going to let this muggle insult you like that."

"Muggle?" Lucy said as she raised her left eyebrow. The door jingled as it opened again, this time a blonde woman in a long pink coat entered. Mr. Kowalski smiled at her, and nearly tripped over himself in a rush to speak with her.

"Newt?" A small voice said; it was the woman who'd walked in. "What're you doing here?" Newt looked up at the woman, recognition is his eyes. "I thought you were in Britain, advertising your book. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, right?" The blonde shifted her gaze to Lucy. "Who's this? Oh... an orphan. I'm just like you sweetie. And you- Newt! We're not supposed to be fraternizing with no-majs! That's what Tina said."

Lucy was confused. How could this woman know she was an orphan? What is a no-maj? Who's Tina?

Newt gave the woman a funny look. "Then why are you here, Queenie? Did you just decide to get some strudels from Jacob's bakery?" He asked accusingly, leaning onto the table. Both seemed to have forgotten Lucy was there, which was fine with her. 

"Mr. Kowalski is different," Queenie replied, biting her lip. "I get breakfast here every morning and bring it back to Tina and I's home. Would you care to join us?" 

Newt looked down, blushing slightly. "I would like to, but I have this muggle to take care of," he replied quietly, not meeting Queenie's eye. "Give Tina my-"

"You want to come, Newt. The no-maj can be dealt with later. We shouldn't even be talking about our world in the first place. It could make Ja- Mr. Kowalski, remember." A look of pain flashed on Queenie's face. "Besides, I'll bet Teen will- oh. Nevermind," Queenie said, squirming a bit.

"What're you two arguing about?" Lucy piped up, her eyes wide in curiosity. "And who's Teen?" The two adults stared at her, Queenie glaring at Newt, who had a look of shame on his face. Both of them shifted awkwardly, waiting for the other to speak. "And what's a muggle?"

"Newt!" Queenie cried through clenched teeth. "You said a magic word around her? Goodness, wait 'til I tell Tina about this. She'll be real pleased to hear you're back and already makin' her job harder." She crossed her arms, but she caught Lucy's expectant gaze and cracked. "Newt and I are not arguin', dear. Tina's my big sis, we take care of each other. And a muggle- well, I call them no-majs, well, they... Newt, you have to obliviate this girl soon," the woman said, crouching down next to the girl, her voice barely a whisper. "A muggle is a person who can't perform magic.”

This information was a lot for little Lucy to process. Magic? She’d always believed in it, but had never seen it or even heard any non-joking talk about it until that day. Did witches and wizards really roam the streets? And if so, where? She understood why they were in hiding. The Second Salemers had put up quite a fight five years ago, although Lucy could hardly remember. She was only a child when that had all happened. Anytime she asked, people would begin to explain, and then trail off, scratching their heads or beards, and then dodge the question completely. It was as if they couldn’t remember. Perhaps it has to do with the magic people, Lucy thought. Queenie stood up, and gave Newt a hard look. 

“We’re not repeatin’ last time. No gettin’ attached. You know how that turns out,” Queenie said, nodding toward Mr. Kowalski. “We’ll bring her to Tina, give her a show, and then tomorrow morning she goes with Tina and all of this is over. Okay?”

Newt nodded, his head ducked. “I understand,” he replied, and looked toward Lucy. “You’re coming with us. We’re going to show you some magic,” he said, smiling. 

Lucy was apprehensive about going with them, but had a strong desire to see the magic. She hesitantly got out of her seat, and followed the two out the door.


	2. Meeting the Auror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy meets Tina, and a reunion goes unexpectedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah. Nine months without updating this fic. I know, I'm the absolute worst. At least it's here now, and due for another update in three weeks (or so)! That's something to be proud of. As mentioned in the fic I previously uploaded today, the last two months of my life have been hectic and very down... or very busy. Sometimes a combination of both. However, I am back on the writing grind, enduring the (literal!) headache I have, and catching up on my fic schedule. I have eight more to finish by the end of the week if I want to get back on track. I believe I can do it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Lucy observed the man who walked in front of her, pretending the woman who was dressed in an absurd amount of pink that trailed her wasn't there. There was no suspicion in her, she felt oddly at peace, but the knowledge that she was being led to an unknown location consumed her with unease. There was something strange about these "New York magicians." Perhaps they were leading her to a circus, where they'd show her some magic and then leave her alone, on the streets once more. Or maybe they were social workers in disguise, taking her to yet another orphanage where she would be miserable once more. Lucy realized she'd been gnawing at her nails and quickly stopped, the jagged end of her nail trapped between her front teeth. The woman's hand graced her shoulder, and she jumped. Her perfectly manicured nails left Lucy's shoulder almost instantly, refolding into a graceful pose as they continued their stroll. The group was nearing their destination, Lucy could tell by the man in the odd coat's increasing pace.  
"Don't worry honey, we're takin' you somewhere safe. You'll be home in a jiffy!" said the blonde. Lucy looked away. She had no home to go back to. It'd be another night out on the cold, dangerous streets. "Speakin' o' homes, where's your parents? Shouldn't they be on the lookout for you now?"  
Lucy became very interested in the patterns of her shoes. No longer could she look the woman in the eyes, guilt flooding her face.  
It wasn't her fault that they'd died, Lucy knew that. But that doesn't mean that they didn't die because of her.  
She'd been told there was a grand fire; one of the worst New York had ever seen. The fire spread so quickly that there was hardly enough time to get her out. She'd been nothing but a small baby, having not graced even a year of age before it all happened. Her father had saved her without thinking of himself, or his wife, before. The fire raged on and on, and he fought his hardest to get to Lucy's cradle. "Get the baby, save Lucy!" Her mother cried. Black smoke filled the air and it was so hot nobody could breath. Nevertheless, he fought to get to her. When he reached her, he grabbed the small bundle and ran the fastest he could down the manor's stairs, exiting the home and giving Lucy to a nearby neighbor, who'd come to help. Fire sirens and the sounds of pops and cracks were all anyone could hear. Lucy was told she did not cry, she simply watched as tears leaked from her eyes. Like she'd known what was to happen next. Her father ran back inside the home to evacuate her mother next, but he never came out. Neither of them did. For two moments after he stepped inside, it collapsed upon itself in a bundle of wood and flame. There were no survivors. All that could be located was a single wedding band, passed on to Lucy. It was her father's, and she wore it on her finger at all times. She hadn't taken it off since the day it fit her finger, though still a bit loose. When she'd first heard the true story, it'd been by accident. Lucy had been told her parents died of illness. not within a fire. She was at the library, searching through old newspapers to pass the time, when a headline caught her eye. "KEGLEY FAMILY DEAD AFTER SPONTANEOUS FIRE DESTROYS HOME." She read it and wept, stealing the article and tearing it up once she'd reached the final orphanage she'd ever escape. For six months, Lucy had been on the run, looking for a place to go, not knowing where to look.  
She spoke up: "They died in a fire when I was but a child."  
Queenie's eyes saddened. "Oh, I'm sorry. Me and Tina's ma and pa died when we were young too. It was just before I left for Ilver-" She trailed off. "School. Before I left for school."  
Newt's footsteps halted to a stop, and Lucy almost crashed into the coated man. They looked upon a tall building, an apartment complex Lucy had walked past many times before. She'd grown used to the city, so there was no surprise that the "auror-" whoever that was- lived there. Queenie broadened her stride, walking toward the door to enter the complex. "C'mon, Tina's a-waitin'!" She smiled brightly, though her face dropped when she got a look at how Newt was expressing himself. "Oh, Newt," she said, going toward the man. "Tina's missed you dearly, she won't be upset you're here... well, not too upset, you are bringing another no-maj into our home. But I volunteered that, so if anyone, she should be in a tiffy with me. Now, c'mon!"   
Queenie took hold of the man's hand and waved Lucy on. Lucy took one, two, three steps up the stairs and entered behind the two, greeted by a dark hallway that was lit with a few candles. "Promise it's not as creepy as it looks, Ms. Esposito likes to take an "antique" approach to the interior she can control," Queenie explained, walking up the steps. "She also likes to take an antique approach to men," she huffed under her breath, keeping Newt in front of her at all times. "Sorry you gotta stay so quiet here, Newt. Landlord doesn't like those of the other gender at the worst of times."  
Newt simply nodded, refraining from speaking as to not alert Ms. Esposito. Lucy pondered the two all the while, imagining who Tina was and how she'd react to her friends bringing a random child along for the ride. Lucy ached to meet her though, again there was a warm feeling when she thought of the people she was with. An uncanny sort of comfort, but comfort nonetheless.  
Queenie braced herself before opening the door, motioning for Lucy to be the first to follow her, just in case Tina had company. The eldest Goldstein rarely did so, but both had learned long ago to be cautious as could be. Queenie stepped in, glancing around before smiling big at a brunette, short-haired woman who was preparing dinner in the kitchen. “Teeny!” She nearly yelled, too over-excited for the state she was to be pretending to be in.   
“Hello, Queenie. What’s gotten into you?” Tina replied, cutting up a green vegetable Lucy didn’t know the name of. She hung back next to the door, waiting for Queenie to introduce her. Lucy shuffled, and the floor creaked. Tina looked up and gasped, glancing between her sister and the girl. “Who’s this?” Tina asked, motioning toward Lucy before wiping her hands and walking between the two, facing her sister. “Someone from the school come to visit? I told professor-”   
“It’s not Queenie’s fault, it’s, mine. See, my niffler got loose and-”  
Newt stopped talking when he locked eyes with Tina. Both of them did. Their expressions changed so suddenly, Lucy felt at an unease. She glanced toward Queenie, who was chewing her perfectly pink lip.   
“Newt,” The brunette said quietly. “You’re here.”  
He shook his head, running his hand through his hair. “Yes, I’ve come to visit New York once more. It seems, however, that I’ve found my way just fine on my own,” he explained. “Though of course not without a slight interference.” His gaze shifted to Lucy, who was standing awkwardly between the two. “This is Lucy, she’s a no-maj-”  
“A no-maj?!”  
“-that accidentally got hold of my niffler, her escaped again, you see-”  
“‘Again?!’”  
“-and she managed to find him before I could. We traveled to… a bakery… and that where I found Queenie-”  
“Have you been travelin’ to see Jacob again?”  
“No!”  
“- and we conversed and I accidentally let it slip that we were-”  
“‘Accidentally,’ I’m sure with your mouth running amok.”  
“-capable of performing magic, and then Queenie thought it would be a good idea to bring her to you, since you’re an auror and able to obliviate far better than either of us can, and I wanted to visit you anyway so I followed along and here we are-”  
“You wanted to visit me?”  
“-now. Yes, Tina, I came to visit you.”  
The staring started again, but before long Tina snapped out of it. “It was very irresponsible of you to come to New York and allow a no-maj, let alone a child, to capture one of your escaped creatures, Mr. Scamander. But, considering it was not completely under your control, I won’t report this mishap to MACUSA- to keep us all out of trouble,” she informed, giving her sister a knowing look. “Firstly, we must deal with the no-maj. Have you located her parents?”  
The entire group refrained from answering her question. Tina grew impatient, thinking of all the infractions that could be caused if MACUSA found out Newt were back and had already caused a ruckus in one household. Or two. “Well?”  
“She ain’t got ‘em, Teeny. They passed in a fire when she was a babe.”  
Tina’s expression fell, and a newfound compassion filled her heart. “Oh,” she muttered softly, looking at the girl. She could be no older than thirteen, old enough to be in secondary school. “My condolences, Lucy. I know what it’s like to be orphaned at such a young age. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through to survive it. What orphanage do you reside at?”  
Tina had stooped to Lucy’s level, looking the child in the eyes. Lucy shook her head. “I don’t have one. I ran away from the last; they were foul and cruel.”  
“Oh,” Tina said once more. “Well, then,” she took a deep breath. Tina knew there was a very hard decision to be made. She couldn’t leave Lucy out in the dark, it wasn’t safe anymore with the recent escape of Grindelwald. She could at least stay for the night. Tina stood up and held her hand out to the girl. “You must be hungry. Why don’t you get cleaned up while I finish preparing dinner, and then you can stay here for the night until I’m able to find you proper care. Bathroom’s down the hall to the right.”  
Lucy nodded and head to the bathroom, muttering a simple “thank you” before exiting the room.  
The bathroom was quaint, but it treated Lucy just fine. She filled the basin with the slightest bit of water, as it came out lukewarm, and washed her hair. It had grown a bit dirty in the last few days. When she’d finished, dripping and shivering, there was a knock at the door. The nice blonde woman, Queenie, was at the other side of it.   
“I found some jammies that I think will fit you I warmed ‘em up a bit, it’s chilly in the night.” Her arm reached through a crack in the door, and she placed a pair of pink pyjamas at the floor. “Come out whenever you’re ready, dinner is bein’ served in a few.”  
Lucy relished in the warmth the pink pjs provided her, and she brushed her hair out with her fingertips before scrubbing at her hands for a moment. After drying them, she tentaively stepped out of the bathroom. None of three adults, perched over a table, seemed to notice her. The brunette, Tina, was speaking in a low, melancholy tone.  
“We don’t know what to do, now that Grindelwald has escaped. It’s not safe for anyone anymore. Queenie and I almost had to relocate twice, but we were lucky enough not to have been breached. New York isn’t the same anymore. We can only hope Grindelwald doesn’t plan to attack.”  
“Who is Grindelwald?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are EXTREMELY appreciated! They always inspire me to write more, if ya know what I'm sayin' ;). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story and are looking forward to more! I've been planning out this fic for two years now, isn't that crazy? She's finally coming to life!
> 
> Next Publication: She Used To Be Mine | Chapter Two


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